Flour-bolt



MENDENHALL & CUNNER.

Mill Bolt. Y

Patented July 29, 1856.

IIUI

'miran STATES s. c. MENDENHA'LL AND J. ooNNEit, oF RICHMOND, INbIA;

rLoUR-BOLT'.

Specication of Letters Patent No. 15,455, dated July 29, 1856.

To all whom t may concern.

Be it known that we, S. C. MENDENHALL and J. CONNER, of the city of Richmond, in the county of Wayne and State of Indiana, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Flour-Bolting Machines, of which the following is va full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which forms part of this specification, and in which- Figure l represents a plan of the bolt, the screen cylinder and outer casing being shown in section; Fig. 2, a vertical longitudinal sectional elevation; Figs. 3 and 4 show end views of the revolving` brushes with their bars or arms and so forth.

Our improvement has reference to that description of flour bolts in which the beaters or revolving bars carrying the brushes are made adjustable to vary their action upon the flour or stu being bolted, according to its description or condition, by varying the relative arrangement of the revolving brushes to the screen cylinder or cloth. Numerous attempts have beenA made to accomplish this by giving radial expansion and contraction to the brushes within the stationary screen cylinder so as to change the proximity of the brushes thereto and thereby increase or diminish the sweeping eEect or action of the brushes on the stuff being bolted on or against the inside circumference of the mesh cylinder and where.

by the bolting of the flour or other substance through the meshesof the cylinder is effected more perfectly, and more rapidly .or slowly as required.

Of the means employed for varying the action of the brushes within the cylinder in what are known as wire cloth flour bolts,

among the several arrangements for the purpose, or exclusively for graduating the pressure of the brushes against the wire cloth of the bolt, loose hubs have been arranged on the central brush shaft attached by arms to radial slides which work on the outer sides of stationary arms the outer ends ofthe slides being attached to the brush bars which fit in forks of the arms. and so that upon moving the loose hubs on the shaft the brush bars have been expanded or contracted as desired, the hubs being secured in proper position by rods. This arrangement does not differ in eifect from many others for effecting a radial expansion or contraction of the brush bars, and it is highly objectionable both on account of the stiffness with which it Works and the arrangement of the sliding hubsA within the body of the outer or close casing that has involved the necessity of opening said casing and consequently stopping the bolt whenever an expansion or contraction of the brushes has had to be made. This is not only a great rinconvenience but involves serious loss of some one respect or other, been objectionable, and our improvement, which is upon the description of'bolts just referred to, obviates all such objections and imperfections, and the following minute description, while it necessarily embraces some details which are old, shows the nove-l manner or arrangement of means by which our improvement is accomplished.

, In the flour bolt represented in the accompanying drawing, the wire clot-h or screen cylinder (A) has a slow revolving move-l ment given it as usual, or the said cylinder may be stationary: It is arranged in a horizontal or slightly dipping position within the usual close outer cylinder or case (B). The brush bars (a), along the outer edges of which theV brushes (b) are arranged, revolve in the ordinary manner within the screen cylinder. These bars, which are connected with t-he central brush shaft (c) as will be hereinafter shown, may be of any number and be se-t either parallel, spiral or otherwise to the shaft. Of course the screen cylinder may be made up of different nenesses of wire cloth to regulate the grades bolted, and the outer close case or cylinder (B) has ribs (d) within it to divide the grade-s and cause them to be conducted to the separator below. The means by which motion is given to the wire cloth .or screen' The stuff to be bolted may be introduced, by v hopper or otherwise, within the screen cylinder at its one end as usual. The brush bars (a), which revolve together with the central shaft (0),'are made to eXpand and contract to vary the rub of -the brushes within the cylinder to suit various conditions or descriptions of the stuff being bolted (as has before been explained), and to meet the reductions by wear or rub ofthe brushes, by sliding hubs or cylinders (e f g) which rot-ate together with the central shaft (c). These hubs (e f g), and another one (It) the particular province of which will be presently described and that also revolves together with the shaft (c), are arranged on the outside and are adjusted or caused to slide in or out on the outside of the outer close cylinder or casing (B). Set screws (i) may be use-d to slide the several hubs in or out, the set screws operating bars (j) which clip the rims of the hubs in such a manner as not to interfere with the free rotation of the hubs. The hubs are arranged concentrally to each other and run one within the other on the shaft (c) with which they rotate altogether.

The three first named hubs (e f g) are connected by rods (e f g) with sliding arm-bosses or rings (e2 f2 g2)) set on the central shaft (c) and made capable of having free motion along as well as rotating with it. These arm-bosses or rings are arranged one near either end of the brush bars (a) and one intermediately thereof, and xedly attached to the several brush bars are inclined planes or rods (63, f3, g3,) which project or fit angularly through suitable holes or openings in the arms of the bosses or rings (e2 f2 g2) in such a manner as that upon either of the arm bosses being moved along the central shaft in either direction according to the direction in which its respective outside sliding hub is `moved by its operating set screw, the said armboss or ring will draw upon or force against the inclined planes or rods attached to the brush bars which gear with said boss and so contract or expand the brush bars, giving the brushes harder or looser rub with the wire cloth cylinder, either along or for the whole length of the brushes by similarly adjusting each of the three hubs named,- at either end by only operating the sliding hub having control of that end,--or simply in the middle by only operating on the sliding hub which has control over the central arm-boss or ring and causing it by the inclined planes or rods which gear with it to spring or return the brush bars-at their center,-each of the arm-bosses or rings (e2, f2, g2) which act upon the inclined planes or rods (e3, f3, g3) being, together with the outside sliding hubs (e f g), separately operative.

The gradual, easy and sure manner in which the brush bars are contracted or eX- panded by the drawing motion as it were of the sliding arm-bosses bearing direct upon the brush bars to adjust the latter at any point almost in their length or wholly over it as desired, gives a practical character to the arrangement which other sliding hub devices for expanding or contracting the brushes have not. But the mere expansion or contraction of the brush bars, radially, only partially accomplishes the change 1n position which it is desirable to give the brush bars to eiect a rapid and perfect bolting to suit variousv conditions of the wheat and so forth especially as regards its dryness or dampness. In addition to or in connection with therefore, or separat-ely, as desired, the graduation of the rub of the brushes by their specified radial expansion or contraction, the brush bars should be so connected with the sliding devices which give them their radial expansionv or contraction as to admit of the said bars (a) and their brushes standing either in a straight radial position or of being turned to incline backward or forward in relation to their run, as shown in Fig. 3, and such tangential or angular set made variable at pleasure, not merely for the purpose of improving the rub of the brushes in concert with the radial expansion or contraction of them which latter action in some cases makes it desirable to vary the angular set of the brushes, so that under certain conditions there is an intimate connection between the two actions, but also for the purpose of changing the force or direction of the atmospheric current or blast which the brush bars (a) and brushes (b) as beaters create in revolving, as for instance by turning and setting the brush bars and brushes to incline backward, to any required extent, producing a strong outward blast through the meshes of the screen cylinder (A) which will be found serviceable in bolting from damp or heavy wheat, or by inclinlng the brush bars and brushes forward inducing an opposite tendency of the blast or at least counteracting centrifugal effect of the air acted upon by the brush bars and brushes which action will be advantageous-in bolting a lighter description as is well known. To get this second joint or-separate double action then of the brush bars and brushes, the gear of the inclined planes or rods (e3, f3, 93,) of the brush bars with the arm bosses or rings (e2, f2, g2), effecting the radial expansion or contraction, is such as to admit of the said inclined planes or rods turning in their bearings in the arm bosses or rings, and the same device may be made to effect both actions, that is to say the inclined planes or rods, which are the means employed for producing the radial action, being fitted to turn in their bearings in the arm-bosses and by reason of their being set inclined, form crank or wrist pins as it were for turning or varying the angular set of the brush bars and brushes, and this may be accomplished as follows The one set (end set) of inclined planes or rods (g3) are connected at their ends by small connecting links wit-h a drumor ring which is fitted on the central shaft (c) so as freely to turn on it when required but has no longitudinal travel, which restriction by the connection of the said ring with the brush bars serves to make the brush bars also immovable in direction of their length. This turning ring (n) has a spiral groove (o) cut in its periphery, in which groove a stud of a sliding bar (r) fits, and this sliding bar is connected with what has been termed the fourth outside sliding hub (it), which in being adjusted, by means of its set screw, in either direction along the cent-ral shaft (c), causes the bar (r) to press against either side of the spiral groove (o) and so to turn in either direction the ring which, by means of its connecting links (m) secured to the ends of the one set of inclined planes or rods (g3), turns or varies the angular set of the brush bars and brushes in either direction as specied.

Both the radial expansion or contraction and angular set of the brush bars and brushes-which latter action adds to the eiiciency of the former one and is connected with it or may be operated separately without it-are effected, it will be observed, not simply from the outside of the screen cylinder (A) but from the outside of the close outer cylinder or case (B) by the arrangement of the sliding hubs (e f g il.) on the outside of said case, and this arrangement of them not merely adds to the facility of repair, but in making the double adjustment specified of lthe brush bars, or either adjustment separately, the same may be done without interfering with the run of the maing the action of the revolving brushes (b) v by giving to the brush bars (a) any desired backward or forward angular set on the radial arms or bosses which carry the brush bars, in relation to the run or travel of the same within the screen cylinder, byY means of the links (m) connecting the inclined pivots or rods (g3) of the brush bars with a turning ring arranged to revolve together with the brush shaft but made capable of circular adjustment thereon, or the mechanical equivalents of such devices, operating essentially as and for the purposes specified.

2. In combination with the radial eXpansion and contraction of the brush bars and brushes within or against the screen cylinder for graduating the rub of the brushes as specified, giving any varied angular set backward or forward to such graduated rub, by so connecting the brush bars with the devices which effect their expansion or contraction as to admit of a variable inclined set or position, in relation to the rim, being given the said brush bars and brushes, to adjust or improve the action of said radially graduated rub as herein set forth.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto subscribedl our names.

S. C. MENDENHALL. J. CONNER.

Vitnesses:

JOHN FINLEY, A. N. NEWTON. 

